The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-03-16

elections what honorable men OF Doth |
parties desire. The objections brought |
against it are trivial. Every man who is
entitled to vote, and does SO through a
patriotic duty, will find time to register
within the limit required by the law,
even in the sparcely settled counties.
But this is only one of number Of bills |
the fact of which is uncertain.-Mineral
Argus.
The legislature is passing large mum.
ber of bills. mostly of minor Importance;
but matters in which the people are
most deeply interested are making slow
progress, Probably the solons are con.
scious of the profound deliberation re.
quired on such subjects, and are not in
hurry. 1t is well as it is.-Madisonian.
1t is very doubtful if a legislature was
ever assembled in Montana that was
more completely actuated by considera-
tions of public good, and by conscien-
tious desire to enact only wholesome laws
than is the present. There are a great
many able men in two houses. With
few exceptions the members are con-
servative and careful, and we know none
that could be accused of dishonest in
tention. Such elements are the constitu-
ents of good legislative bodies, and the
present one isIan instance. The lesisla-
tive restriction act of congress has had
its effect. 1t has almost entirely swept
away special bills, and has had the
effect Of preventing log-rolling an un-
wholesome combinations, which men,
bers will enter into almost in spite Of
their inclinations, and which are deleteri-
ous TO good general observation-disclosures
dent.
These reflections are not aimed at
majority of the members either of the
house or council. Many of them are
gentlemen of unimpeachable integrity
sincerity of purposes and high ability,
but it sometimes happens that thev have
suffered the shame reformers to control
the course of many excellent bills and to
so amend or emasculate them that they
will either be defeated or become inoper-
ative. There are only two days left in
which this legislature can complete its
record. The genuine reformers. if they
have enough votes, must take matters
into their own hands and summarily
squelch the hypocrites and time servers
or they must take back seat and let the
odium for the non-performance of a
solemn duty rest upon the weak and
dough-faced creatures who have been
stumbling blocks in the way of useful
legislation.-Inter-Moun
With the legislators as body no par.
ticular fault can be found. If in some
things they have acted unwisely theil
faults have been common to all legis
latures and have not been Of the heart
The Independnt believes the two houses
to have been essentially composed of al
honest men as we were ever elected tc
public office and If dishonest men there
were among them their dishonesty was
seldom if ever apparent, The fifteenth
legislature of Montana, if it has eased tc
have working existence, has died hon
orably, and if its memory is not always
green it will not 60 down to history al
the "lats unlamented. Independent.
Ere this reaches our readers the ter
ritorial legislature will have served ou
its sixty days, its members dispersed tt
their several homes. What has or wha
has not been accomplished, is not appa
rent at this writing. But it is question
able if evil does not outweigh the good
A session of the legislature has, in thes,
latter days, come to be public ealamit.
and it is noted fact that the laws ar
generally left in worse condition thai
, they were found. 1t is a little strang
, that collection of the choicest men c
: the territory, every one of whom is po'
} sessed of more than average ability an
intelligence, should make such poor pre-
gress in legislation. Yet it is we
4 known fact an assembly of all good NE
s often pass some very obnoxious laws, ar
), that In more than one instance the Mo
d tana legislature had better have new
been. How it will prove with the pr
Q sent one is yet to be learned. One thiI
certain the present body has fallen larg
ly into the error If ali previous asser
blies, that of attempting too much.
few bills carefully drawn and well co
sdered is far better than the yolumnio'
d undertakings the fifteenth general asser
bly, has got to wrestle with. We tru
l. however, it has proven itself equal
n the emergency, and shall enlighten c
Ne readers upon the subject lust as soon
ii we can gather the informatiOn.-H
bandman.
As in the case of fruit trees we c
never count the ripened fruit by
number of blossoms, or even by the fr
sets. Many brilliant promises are alw'
unfulfilled. So itswith legislation,
all the bills introduced becomes la
NJ and not all that are really meritorious
ro come laws. It is often remarked Il
no the best work generally of legislature
ar of negative kind, in defeating me
10, ures that ought not to become laws.